• Academics
A Year of Service
Stone Ridge
photos of kids volunteering

Stone Ridge students and community at sites during various Social Action days.

 

Stone Ridge students recognize their capacity to transform, to become powerful agents of God’s love and compassion, and to step out of their comfort zones to serve the poor, marginalized, and suffering in our region and throughout the world.

In case you missed it! The Catholic Standard published exclusive written by Hallie Stallings ’22 and Lulu Schropp ’22 on the benefits of the Social Action program.

Social Action has been an integral part of a Stone Ridge education for a century. Throughout Lower and Middle Schools, students gain a social awareness through class discussions and age-appropriate research and through their participation in several community projects. Upper School students engage in Social Action days off and on campus with local organizations including Reading Partners, A Wider Circle, Food & Friends, Martha’s Table, and S.O.M.E. (So Others May Eat). In addition to service work, Upper School students also meet with their Student Community Governance (SCG) groups in the afternoon to continue their commitment to social awareness.

This year, Director of Social Action Dr. Katie White framed Social Action under the essential question: “How is my well-being bound up in yours,” to guide students to reflect on the interconnectedness and accountability people have to one another. Linked with this reflection for students, Social Action activities begin in Grade 9 with a foundational knowledge of Catholic Social Teaching and dive deeper each year into our common humanity and God’s creation.

As a result of the depth and breadth of social awareness, many Stone Ridge students initiate service projects beyond the classroom engaging friends, family, and the broader community to help others in times of great need. Here are a few stories from the 2021-22 school year that brought the Stone Ridge community together.

group of students holding certificates.

GBBC Team

Gators Beat Blood Cancer
The Gators Beat Blood Cancer (GBBC) team, originally formed in 2017 in honor of fellow classmate and Stone Ridge alumna Meaghan Kilner ’20, has raised close to $900,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) over the years during the Students of the Year campaign; a seven-week nationwide challenge for students to raise funds and awareness for the Society’s mission. This year’s team’s efforts resulted in an impressive $260,000 earning the team the two Top Fundraiser Awards. Congrats GBBC Team! Led by Kate Aronson ’23, Samantha Aronson ’23, and Ella Hunter ’23, members include Alexis Battle ’22, Julia Capuano ’23, Claudia Donatelli ’24, Ava Guiterman ’24, Emanuelle Chloe Hair ’24, Claire Hohman ’23, Kali Leibrand ’25, Emma Mulford ’23, Maggie Myers ’24, Reagan Raffo ’23, Rosie Schramm ’23, and Nina Sinkford ’23.

 

 

three students making a garden bed out of wood.

Students working on garden bed frames.

Greenhouse Growth
Upper School Science teachers Sky Lesnick and Joanna Caudle appreciated the opportunities that having an on-campus greenhouse provided for science students, and saw the potential for further development in collaboration with student efforts. They began working with students as part of the Upper School Social Action Wednesdays in an initial plan to transform the greenhouse and green roof into a productive urban garden that would provide space for science lessons and collaborative projects to educate the school community on topics of environmental stewardship and sustainability.

Students in the Greenhouse Social Action group designed and built flexible shelving for the greenhouse, poured paving stones for the green roof, and built a community potting bench. These efforts helped the greenhouse and green roof serve multiple functions throughout the year, including making them into great places to study and meet. Further, the students experimented with different approaches to growing crops in the greenhouse, the most successful of which was to grow microgreens. Students are hoping to share the literal fruits of their labor with the Sage dining program in the coming 2022–2023 school year.

Screenshot of a website.

Sustainability Committee
Charlotte Mahon ’28 and Jamie Russell’s ’28 Laudato Si’ composting project inspired a revival of Stone Ridge’s Sustainability Committee; a group of students, faculty, and staff dedicated to educating, raising awareness, and expanding the School’s green initiatives across campus. “Climate change is a lot more complex and we can’t just solve it with one thing,” says Charlotte. “Really everyone has to do their part,” Jamie asserts. The Committee has already made their mark on campus by adding new compost bins in the Mater Center with posters to educate people on separating food and waste. On Earth Day, the group published their first newsletter “Our Common Home” to report on current climate change issues, actions individuals can take in their daily lives, and promote environmental studies.

 

Read about World Central Kitchen Day, a school-wide fundraising effort organized by Lower School students Vivian Lee ’31 and Tatum Larrabee ’31.

Social Action Symposium

A photo of a graphic banner.

The Social Action Symposium on Wednesday, April 27 marked the final day of Social Action. “We decided to try something new this year,” says Director of Social Action Dr. Katie White, “and come together in a more intentional way to reflect and share out about the year.” The day was a tremendous success. Upper School students and faculty spent the day engaged with speakers and activities meant to provide space to reflect on the year and answer the essential question: “How is my well-being bound up in yours?”

Students learned about advocacy, voting, and leadership opportunities in the Social Action program, contributed to a community mural, and packed sandwiches for partner organizations Martha’s Table and So Others May Eat (S.O.M.E.).

The event kicked off with keynote speaker Mr. Cortez McDaniel from the Father McKenna Center followed by Alumna Alice Felker ’16 and core members of L’arche Greater Washington in the afternoon. Students walked away with a deeper understanding of not only themselves, but how and why they can make an impact in others’ lives.